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"When I found out, it was like my heart ripped in half," Willette said.

Weikert moved to Colorado from Iowa to take a job with COBank in Greenwood Village as a credit analyst, according to Willette.

"She loved the sunshine. She loved to be outside and be active," said Willette. "She missed her friends and family."

Weikert's best friend met her freshman year at Iowa State University. Alicia Tegtmeyer says ever since meeting Weikert, they were best friends. Weikert was even a bridesmaid at her wedding.

"She meant the world to both us, so that was one of the reasons," Tegtmeyer said. "She cared for him just as much as I did."

Weikert's dad called it a "parent's worst nightmare" when he got that knock on his door - telling him that his daughter had been killed. He was shocked to hear the shooter was 51-year-old Robert Lewis - a man he had not hear Weikert talk about.

"We don't know anything about this idiot," Weikert's dad said. "We thought we had her in a good place."

Police say Lewis was harassing Weikert at the office. Lewis was a credit manager at COBank. Investigators say no police report was ever filed on the harassment allegations, but it was handled internally by the company with the firing of Lewis a few weeks ago.

Thursday morning, Weikert was shot to death in the parking garage of her apartment complex in Greenwood Village. When police went to question Lewis about the shooting, he fatally shot himself in the head at his Denver apartment.

Willette says Weikert was a beautiful, vibrant woman.

"She just lit up any room she went into, and everybody really liked her, really enjoyed being around her," Willette said. "The best part of your day was when you were hanging out with Emily."

Bev Marquez is the chief operating officer of Metro Crisis Services - where counselors are available for free to discuss situations like this.

"It's hard to accept that even if we do everything right, bad things can happen," Marquez said.

Marquez says every company, including COBank, should look how terminations are handled, especially after the fact.

"What are the preventative measures, the things that you can put in place to minimize the likelihood that this would happen," Marquez said.

Lewis did not have a long criminal history, but he was arrested in 1996 for felony trespassing. 9NEWS tried to reach member of his family but have not heard back.

COBank is flying its flags at half staff at its offices after this young couple is torn apart.

"I don't feel angry. I'm more in shock," Willette said. "Words can't describe, you know, all that is Emily."